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Pretty Birdie Carries Marylou Whitney Stables Silks To Opening Day Schuylerville Victory

Marylou Whitney Stables' Pretty Birdie rocketed to a lead that she never relinquished, fending off 6-5 favorite Mainstay's stretch-drive challenge to win the Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville for juvenile fillies by two lengths on Thursday, Opening Day, at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The 103rd edition of the six-furlong Schuylerville fittingly saw the ownership group of the late Saratoga icon and philanthropist capture a graded stakes during the lid-lifter of the 40-day meet. To accomplish the feat, Pretty Birdie wasted no time breaking sharply from the inside post under Luis Saez, leading the seven-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 22.29 seconds, a half in 45.82 and three-quarters in 58.40 on the fast main track.

Mainstay, who broke from post 2 under Frankie Pennington and tracked in second position in every point of call, made a late bid out of the turn, but Saez kept his charge to task, completing the course in a 1:12.32 final time.

“This is where she felt the most alive,” said owner John Hendrickson, who was married to Whitney until her passing in July 2019. “This is the way she is alive and she has a win on opening day. It's pretty special. This is a dream come true for me and Marylou. Things getting back to normal and winning on Opening Day, she's throwing a party. She said 'I want to race, get back to work.'

“It means so much,” Hendrickson added. “The smiling faces and having Saratoga back the way it should be and having a win. It's very special.”

Pretty Birdie's gate-to-wire score was the second career graded stakes win for trainer Norm Casse and his first in New York. The Kentucky homebred, a daughter of Bird Song, improved to 2-for-2 following her debut win in June at Churchill Downs.

“I feel like she was a little more green today. She didn't want to switch leads down the lane,” Casse said. “I was a little bit concerned about that as she was finishing, but I think that was just her seeing a new place. This was the first time she had even come over here. I kept her on the Oklahoma [training track] side the entire week she's been here.”

Off at 5-2, Pretty Birdie returned $7.60 on a $2 win wager. Casse said the next target for her is the Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway on September 5 at Saratoga.

“I think she was just gawking around and maybe even waiting on the other horse,” Casse said. “Those are things we'll fix before we run her in the Spinaway next.”

Saez won his second career Schuylerville, joining Off the Tracks in 2015.

“She's very fast,” said Saez, who finished the day with three wins. “I could feel it. She was on her toes. She broke from there pretty quick and we controlled the pace. When we came to the top of the stretch, she was running. I was pretty happy with her.

“She was a little tired [late in the lane] but she was go,” he added. “Nice filly.”

Mainstay, a half-sister to reigning 2-year-old champion filly Vequist trained by Butch Reid, Jr. was a 7 3/4-length first-out winner in June at Monmouth Park. Making her Saratoga bow, the Astern filly finished 5 1/4 lengths clear of Saucy Lady T for second.

“I think she ran well,” Reid, Jr. said. “It was a quality horse that beat her. My jockey was a little upset that she wasn't standing quite right in the gate and they snapped it before she was really ready. She had one leg that was underneath the next stall. I think maybe if she breaks a little better, who knows, but she didn't get away from the gate clean.”

Velvet Sister, Cartel Queen, Eagle Express and Queen Camilla completed the order of finish. Pipeline Girl and Happy Soul, the 8-5 morning-line favorite, scratched.

Live racing resumes Friday with a 10-race card highlighted by the Grade 3, $150,000 Forbidden Apple for 4-year-olds and up going one mile on the inner turf in Race 9 at 5:39 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:05 p.m.

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‘Happy’ Days are Here Again: Schuylerville Kicks off Saratoga Meet

With a pair of blowout wins already on her resume headed by Belmont's Astoria S. June 3, Happy Soul (Runhappy) sets her sights on Saratoga's opening day co-featured GIII Schuylerville S. She has been working in company with her Wesley Ward-trained 4-year-old stablemate and GISW Kimari (Munnings).

“Visually, Kimari is a better horse, but she's doing it with speed to spare as well,” Ward said. “She has had some nice works underneath her and she's come to handle it quicker than I thought.”

Mainstay (Astern {Aus}), a half-sister to last year's champion 2-year-old filly Vequist (Nyquist), earned her 'TDN Rising Star' badge with a visually impressive romp in the slop on debut at Monmouth June 4.

Velvet Sister (Bernardini), a $500,000 FTFMAR breezer, graduated by 9 3/4 lengths in front-running fashion in a three-horse field for Steve Asmussen in her unveiling at Belmont June 10.

The rail-drawn Pretty Birdie (Bird Song) became the first winner for her expatriated sire with a sharp, wire-to-wire tally first out at Churchill Downs June 18.

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Happy Soul Headlines Schuylerville On Saratoga Opening Day Card

Gayla Rankin's Happy Soul seeks to build on her early winning ways, taking on her toughest test yet against eight other freshmen fillies in Thursday's 103rd running of the $150,000 Grade 3 Schuylerville on Opening Day of the 40-day summer meet at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The six-furlong G3 Schuylerville kicks off juvenile stakes action at the Spa and has been a steppingstone to champion honors in the careers of champions Cicada [1961], Numbered Account [1971], La Prevoyante [1972], Sacahuista [1986], Meadow Star [1990], Golden Attraction [1995], Countess Diana [1997], and Ashado [2003]. The city of Schuylerville is named after American Revolutionary War hero Phillip Schuyler, and is located just 12 miles east of Saratoga Springs.

Additionally, the Schuylerville is one of six stakes events scheduled for Runhappy Opening weekend July 15-18, led by the $500,000 Grade 1 Diana for fillies and mares going nine furlongs on the turf on Saturday, July 17.

Trained by Wesley Ward, Happy Soul won her last two starts by a combined 23 ¼ lengths and garnered a respective 81 Beyer Speed Figure in both races.

Following a runner-up effort at first asking to stablemate Nakatomi, Happy Soul romped by 11 ¾ lengths on May 13 going five furlongs at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The daughter of second-crop sire Runhappy replicated such dominant ways against stakes company, taking the Astoria by 11 ½ lengths.

The Astoria was not initially targeted for Happy Soul, who arrived at her first stakes engagement with no recorded breezes following her maiden triumph.

“She got beat on the squares there in her first start,” Ward said. “We were ready when she came back, so we were expecting a big effort. Then, the Astoria came up where she would have been the overwhelming favorite going in, so it was hard to pass up, even without a breeze under her belt.”

Happy Soul has gained experience in her morning training, working with Grade 1-winning stablemate Kimari.

Breaking from post 7, Happy Soul will be ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, who will vie for his sixth Schuylerville win.

Trainer Tom Amoss packs a powerful pair of last-out maiden winners in Pipeline Girl and Cartel Queen.

Amoss used the Schuylerville as the stakes debut for subsequent multiple Grade 1-winner Serengeti Empress, who finished fourth in 2018 to Catherinethegreat.

Owned by Jerry Caroom, Pipeline Girl scored at first asking, traveling the Schuylerville distance on June 25 at Churchill Downs. The daughter of first-crop sire Air Force Blue broke sharply from post 2 and tracked a trio of frontrunners down the backstretch before making a four-wide move in upper stretch and capturing command in the final strides to win by a head.

“I thought her race was a very good experience,” Amoss said. “Any time you get a good experience out of a race and can win it is always a good thing. With a lot of these young horses at this stage, their running style is still something that you're trying to learn about.”

Bred by Lynch Bages LTD, Pipeline Girl is out of the black-type producing Pulpit mare Guide, whose dam Tour produced graded stakes winner Trip – the second dam of Grade 1-winners Bolt d'Oro and Global Campaign. She was bought for $100,000 from the Hunter Valley consignment at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Also flying the Amoss banner is Jeff Ganje's Cartel Queen, who arrives off a maiden win at second asking. After finishing second behind runaway winner Golden Bell on debut in April at Keeneland, the daughter of Cairo Prince registered a 2 ¼-length triumph on May 20 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Cartel Queen will sport blinkers for the first time in the Schuylerville, having worked in the hood when blitzing through a half-mile in :47.60 on July 9 at Saratoga.

“We're making an equipment change with her and adding blinkers,” Amoss said. “She worked at Saratoga with blinkers [Friday] morning and did fine, so she'll wear them for the Schuylerville.”

Cartel Queen is out of 2009 Oklahoma Horse of the Year Peach Brew – a half-sibling to prominent Oklahoma-bred champion and millionaire She's All In. She was bought for $50,000 from the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by co-breeder Buck Pond Stable.

Pipeline Girl will break from post 3 under Jose Ortiz, while Cartel Queen will be piloted by Irad Ortiz, Jr. from post 9.

Swilcan Stable and LC Racing's Mainstay will attempt to level up to the status of her champion half-sister Vequist for trainer Butch Reid, Jr.

The daughter of freshman sire Astern was highly impressive on debut, gliding home to a 7 ¾-length victory on June 4 over a sloppy and sealed main track at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Jockey Frankie Pennington will pilot Mainstay from post 2.

Trainer Norm Casse will saddle Pretty Birdie on behalf of Marylou Whitney Stables. The homebred daughter of freshman sire Bird Song was never in doubt in her career debut on June 18 at Churchill Downs, leading at every point of call to win by 3 ¾ lengths.

Dear Birdie, an influential broodmare for the late Marylou Whitney's breeding operation, appears twice in Pretty Birdie's pedigree. She is the paternal third dam and the maternal fourth dam of Pretty Birdie.

Pretty Birdie will be piloted by jockey Luis Saez from the inside post.

Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen will saddle two fillies in pursuit of his fourth Schuylerville victory, winning with Jardin [2008], Hot Dixie Chick [2009], and Brazen Persuasion [2013].

W.S. Farish's Eagle Express ships to Saratoga by way of her native state after capturing the Texas Stallion Pan Zareta on June 13 at Lone Star for Asmussen. A victory would give the Farish family a fourth Schuylerville victory, boasting prior wins with Sweet Revenge [1980], Weekend Surprise [1982], and Weekend Delight [1984].

Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. will ride Eagle Express from post 8.

Asmussen will also send out Stonestreet Stables' Velvet Sister following a successful debut on June 10 at Belmont Park. The daughter of Bernardini led at every point of call over Big Sandy, extending her advantage throughout, and romped home a 9 ¾-length winner.

Bred in New York by Godolphin and Michelle Nevin, Velvet Sister was a $500,000 acquisition from the Fasig-Tipton March 2020 Sale, where she was consigned by Eddie Woods. She is a half-sister to multiple New York-bred stakes-winner My Boy Tate.

Jockey Joel Rosario will return to the irons aboard Velvet Sister from post 4.

Cammarota Racing's Queen Camilla [post 6, Junior Alvarado] invades from South Florida for trainer Antonio Sano. The daughter of first-crop sire Connect was a one-length winner against her Florida-bred counterparts on July 1 at Gulfstream Park.

Completing the field is Saucy Lady T, a dark bay or brown Tonalist filly trained and co-owned by James Chapman in partnership with Van Camperlengo. Saucy Lady T won at second asking on April 25 over a sloppy and sealed track at Belmont Park. Jockey Manny Franco will ride from post 5.

The Schuylerville is slated as Race 9 on Thursday's 10-race Opening Day card. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Vequist Sis Becomes Rising Star, First NH Winner for Astern

Swilcan Stable and LC Racing's Mainstay (Astern {Aus}), the half-sister to last year's champion 2-year-old filly Vequist (Nyquist), MGISW, $1,237,500, came out running Friday to become her sire's first Northern Hemisphere winner as well as a 'TDN Rising Star'. Scratched from Thursday's Astoria S. at Belmont, the Butch Reid pupil was backed at 6-5 and made that price look like a bargain.

Out-footed by Next Tuesday (Kantharos) from the gate, the bay quickly rushed up and cleared by several lengths from that foe. Next Tuesday tried to make a race of it into the stretch, but Mainstay was in another league as she cantered home a super-impressive 7 3/4-length winner, stopping the clock in :52.59.

“She was very classy. She handled it like a professional,” said winning rider Frankie Pennington. “The first time Butch asked me to breeze her he said `you're going to like this one.' When he says that you know the horse has a chance to be something special.”

Reid said, “She has been training lights out. She's much more of a sprinter than Vequist was so we knew she would be good early. It's been fantastic. We had thought about trying her in the Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park, but we took the more conservative route and I'm glad we did… I've got owners who will listen to me on these type of decisions and it will pay dividends in the long run.”

Astern (Medaglia d'Oro), a Group 1 winner in his native Australia, covered his first mares at Darley's Kelvinside in New South Wales before reverse shuttling for the first time at Jonabell in 2018. He has six Southern Hemisphere winners. Fillies from Astern's first North American crop have been well received this season, with $375,000 and $340,000 sellers.

Mainstay is the fourth foal out of 2014 GII Black-Eyed Susan S. runner-up Vero Amore (Mineshaft), a $15,000 bargain buy by Tom McGrath's Swilcan Stables. Vequist was beaten a nose in her Parx debut last July before Gary Barber and Wachtel Stable bought in. She proceeded to romp by 9 1/2 lengths in the GI Spinaway S. before finishing second in the GI Frizette S. and securing championship honors with a convincing score in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Eased in the GII Davona Dale S. in February, Vequist is targeting the GI Cotillion S. in September. Vero Amore produced a Daredevil filly last term and an Accelerate filly most recently.

3rd-Monmouth, $47,125, Msw, 6-4, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :52.59, sy, 7 3/4 lengths.
MAINSTAY, f, 2, Astern {Aus}
                1st Dam: Vero Amore (GSP, $252,255), by Mineshaft
                2nd Dam: Summers Edge, by The Cliff's Edge
                3rd Dam: Miss Summer Reign, by Summer Squall
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $28,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart, VIDEO, sponsored by TVG or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Swilcan Stable LLC & LC Racing; B-Swilcan Stables (KY); T-Robert E. Reid, Jr.

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